Search - Amos Lee :: Amos Lee

A crisp, clean, old soul...

Andrew Ellington | I'm kind of everywhere | 02/16/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm new to the `Amos Lee Fan Club' but I don't think it'll be too long before I'm a more established and respected member. In fact, this is the first (and only at the moment) album I own from him, but I'm truly impressed, so much so that I'm going to pick up another this week. Like my title suggests, Amos Lee is an old soul, but I love that. His intriguing mix of jazz, soul and folk rests easy on my ears and definitely gets me excited for more.



You can throw comparisons at him ranging from Norah Jones to Ray LaMontagne or Otis Redding and Bob Dylan. He covers all bases quite nicely.



For me, Lee is best when he allows his inner crooner to lace its smooth voice over soft and subtle arrangements. The earnest power behind `Arms of a Woman' (just as tender and sincere as LaMontagne's own `Trouble') is just one example of Lee at his best. `Soul Suckers' is another song that I really, truly adore. There is a beautiful tenderness to this song, Lee's vocals reaching a softness that is comforting while maintaining an air of loss and almost antagonizing criticism. The closing track, `All My Friends', really embellishes Lee's folksy side with stellar results. It's tracks like this that pay perfect homage to his idols and inspirations without losing a modern appeal.



The funky, catchy playfulness of `Give it Up' has a perfect `chill' factor to it, one that is infectious and unforgettable. He has a different blend of playfulness on `Lies of a Lonely Friend', calling to mind a near country vibe that sets easy on Lee's vocals. The musical arrangement alone adds a nice `twang' to the track.



`Bottom of the Barrel' lacks some of the polish of the rest of the tracks (it almost sounds like it was recorded on a porch) but it's a fun song (totally Redding). I only wish it were a tad longer! `Dreamin' is one of the only tracks I'm not a huge fan of (it's just a tad bland and forgettable). `Seen it All Before' is beautifully sung and perfectly captures the style this man possesses. `Colors' is sincere and stunning in parts, but it follows `Soul Suckers' and just can't really hold up when compared. `Black River' is a tad too mellow for its own good and it kind of gets swallowed up by the rest of the album (they say `spiritual' and I see that, but it just doesn't offer enough for me). `Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight' is a song I want to like more than I do (it opens the album, so I want it to grab me). I just find it rather mediocre, but I don't even really understand why.



I just kind of shrug that one off.



All in all though, this is a stellar album and one that I will listen to over and over and one that has motivated me to investigate this singer all the more! I highly recommend this to any fan of the genre (whether that be jazz, soul or folk) because this album nearly nails it all."